S. Heart – A Dream

THE SACRED HEART CHAPEL

This chapel is on the left, near the main entrance. It is small, pleasing and quiet, and very suitable for anyone who wants to pray. Many ordinary folk and pilgrims visit it.Why the Sacred Heart?Don Bosco’s own great devotion. He himself wrote that, after the revelations to St Margaret Mary Alacoque, “This devotion was taken up by clergy and lay people with exceptional zeal, as though it corresponded to some pressing need of the human heart”.Fr Giulio Barberis SDB wrote about Don Bosco’s devotion: “Don Bosco’s devotion to the Sacred Heart was admirable. He recommended it in a big way to his boys…”.He showed his love and devotion by undertaking, near the end of his life, and at great cost and sacrifice to himself, the construction of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, next to Rome’s Termini Station.

DREAM OF THE TWO PILLARS…

At the back of the Basilica can be seen the two paintings of the Dream of the Two Pillars and the Dream of the Raft. 30 May 1862, Don Bosco told how, in a dream, he had seen a terrible sea-battle with thousands of crafts, big and small, launched against a single stately ship symbolising the Church. The ship had been hit several times, but was still proudly afloat. Directed by the Pope it was able to anchor itself securely between two pillars rising out of the sea. On top of the first pillar was a large Host and the words“Salus credentium” / Salvation of believers.The second pillar was smaller and there was a statue of Mary Immaculate on it with the words“Auxilium Christianorum” / Help of Christians. Don Bosco told the dream of the Raft in 1866. Caught by a frightful flood, the boys try to save themselves by getting on a raft with Don Bosco and they see the mysterious wordMEDOUM in the sky. The Saint explained it as “Mary, Mother and Lady of the whole universe”. When the raft was tied up in a safe place, the Virgin Mary spoke to the boys:“IF YOU WILL BE LOVING CHILDREN TO ME, I WILL BE A LOVING MOTHER TO YOU”.